General/Distribution:
Represented in Pakistan by 6 species, 3 of which are naturalized, the other three are cultivated and found as escapes. Vegetative characters are important criteria in the delimitation of the species. The species flowers after years of growth and many of them are monocarpic. Propagation is by leaf bulbils on the scape or by suckers.

A large and taxonomically complex genus consisting of c. 300 species, distributed in Southern USA and tropical S. America. Introduced and naturalized in many parts of Pakistan. Few species are cultivated in Punjab and Baluchistan for yielding fibres for domestic and small scale commercial purposes.